THE family of a “kind and loving” father and grandfather killed by a single punch have said their loss will “never be justified”.

Stephen Jeffries, 59, died after he was struck by Carl Stuart Woolley, 33, at the entrance to the Avenue Road car park in Bournemouth on September 13, 2020.

Mr Jeffries, who lived locally, suffered a “serious and traumatic head injury” due to fall after the punch. He died in hospital two days later.

Woolley was charged with murder, but pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which was accepted by the prosecution.

He has today been jailed for six years at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Following the sentencing, the family of Mr Jeffries said in a statement: “The outcome of the trial will never be enough in terms of justice. The loss we feel as a family will never be justified. A life has been taken without regards.

“Due to the current circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic we feel cheated of the opportunity to stand before the court and to witness the sentencing of the man who has caused such devastation and changed our lives and worlds forever.

"We did not get to stand before this man and to look him in the eye and read out our statements of what catastrophic loss and grief we are all subjected to and to see if he is filled with remorse.

“Stephen was a kind and loving father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend who loved life. Stephen will be dearly missed by all who loved him, family and friends. We would like to thank the medical teams at Poole General Hospital who cared for him and supported the family during this time.

"We would also like to thank The Homicide Service who assisted us and the prosecution team and courts for their work that saw the offender plead guilty to Stephen’s manslaughter.”

Detective Inspector Wayne Seymour, of Dorset Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team (MCIT), said: “This tragic case highlights that punching someone, just like Carl Woolley did that night, can have devastating fatal consequences.

“Specialist officers have continued to support the family of Mr Jeffries and my thoughts remain with his loved ones. 

“Dorset Police does not tolerate violence of any nature in our communities and we will always ensure a detailed investigation is carried out to bring offenders to justice.

“I hope the sentence handed out today will provide Mr Jeffries’ family and friends with some closure and serve as a reminder to the public about the dangers that just one mindless and avoidable punch can have.”